The First Weekend of Lent

I belong to a liturgical church, which divides the year into liturgical seasons. A new season, Lent, began this week on Ash Wednesday.

People tend to either ignore Lent altogether or have a somewhat shallow appreciation of what Lent is all about.

Lent is not a second chance to work on our New Year’s resolutions. Lent is not about becoming stronger people, or showing everyone what strong people we already are. Lent is not about earning more spiritual points.

Lent is not about avoiding things that may not be good for us. Lent is not about losing weight, or spending less time on social media, or becoming a holier version of who we are.

Lent is not about finding something that it will be only mildly uncomfortable to do without for a few weeks.

Lent is about so much more, goes so much deeper, than any of that.

Lent is about our hearts being set on fire.

Lent is when we look ourselves in the eye, breathe deeply, and face what we fear the most. Lent is when we take off the training wheels or the safety harness and allow ourselves to fly.

Lent is when we pay attention to the ways we hold ourselves back. We take the time to see clearly. We realize that we have gotten comfortable and made ourselves dependent on things we do not really need.

We find the thing in Lent that is most holding us back, most holding us down, and release it. In the same way that when we release the brake on our cars, we are freed to move again.

Lent is not about being good or getting better. Lent is about being honest and going deeper.

What is this Lent about for you?

Where will this Lent take you?

[Image by Wesley Eller]